A film about which there are no words - an action with the camera - objects tell a random story - objects are bearers of obsessions -issuing energy as fetishes. Symbols of femininity and masculinity that have become glitter and trinkets are arranged, contemplated, varied, animated, recoded if not affirmed in their meaning, power. In the centre of all these things a wedding photo: beaming bride with happy, uniformed groom.
Complex relationships between mothers and daughters are far from a new concept, whether the strain comes from abandonment, beliefs, or trauma. In My Only Wish, an Incluvie Film Festival submission, Brenda Gutierrez’s take on her character’s maternal divide comes in the form of abandonment.
The “gay best friend”, an age-old trope, has been done in countless films and television series. Ranging from one-note (Sex and the City's Stanford and Mario) to nuanced (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Tituss), the gay best friend exists to support and advise the main protagonist, with their conflicts swept to the side.
Coverage from the Austin Film Festival, highlighting some panels and films that emphasized the importance of diverse and inclusive storytelling.
I came across Urchin by chance and decided to watch it because of the title. It made me think of the spiky animal that lives at the bottom of the ocean, and the old Dickensian novels, where an urchin was an orphaned, homeless child in shaggy and dirty clothes.
It is up to the community to decide if this film is a force for enlightenment or not.
This young adult movie focuses on relationships in this high school reunion.
